October 23, 2025
Some weeks the snow is theoretical, the rules are concrete, and the penalty loop comes with rush-hour traffic.
First, the great gate stayed shut. After six hours of quiet voices and loud principles, skiing’s bosses decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes won’t get a path to Milan–Cortina—no qualifiers, no neutral bibs, no “just one sprint heat to keep our legs fresh.” The announcement dropped like a frozen gavel in Ōberhofen, and the echoes ran clear to every wax room with a radio. The whole decision—how FIS said no while the IOC said “maybe”—is laid out in FIS blocks Russians and Belarusians from 2026 Olympic ski qualifiers (/cross-country-skiing/fis-blocks-russians-belarus-2026-olympic-qualifiers/). Stars nodded solemnly—Calle Halfvarsson and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo called it the right call—while Moscow called it a “Scandinavian lobby” and reached for the complaint forms in After the decision: Russia blames a “Scandinavian lobby” for Olympic exclusion (/cross-country-skiing/russia-blames-scandinavian-lobby-after-olympic-ban-cross-country/) and the roundup No Russian skiers at the 2026 Olympics – stars react: “The right decision” (/cross-country-skiing/no-russian-skiers-allowed-olympics-2026-stars-react-right-decision/). Finnish chair Sirpa Korkatti poured a tidy cup of candor—and then had to swat away an outrageous nuclear rant from a retired biathlon legend—in Finnish Ski Association chief welcomes FIS decision… (/cross-country-skiing/finnish-ski-chief-hails-fis-ban-russian-athletes-tikhonov-nuclear-threat-reaction/). Somewhere in there, ski jumping icon Janne Ahonen shrugged in that efficient Finnish way and said, essentially, “Yes, this.” See Janne Ahonen speaks bluntly… (/ski-jumping/janne-ahonen-backs-fis-decision-on-russian-exclusion/).
Meanwhile, biathlon moved downtown and discovered it’s very popular with people who own soft pretzels. Munich’s Olympic Park became an urban carnival: hot laps, cold nerves, and a shooting range that echoed off apartment balconies. Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi and France’s Eric Perrot divided the trophies like civilized neighbors splitting a pie—details in Strelow third as Vittozzi, Perrot win at IBU LOOP ONE… (/biathlon/vittozzi-perrot-win-ibu-loop-one-munich-strelow-third-biathlon-exhibition/), with Sweden stacking a sunny double podium behind Vittozzi in Biathlon rollerski success in Munich: Double Swedish podium (/biathlon/rollski-biathlon-munich-double-swedish-podium/).
Of course, when you bring biathlon to the city, the penalty loop gets opinions. Austria’s Lara Wagner exited the carousel looking like she’d argued with the asphalt and lost—crowded loops and a broken mat will do that. The splat-and-finish is in Biathlon: Austria’s Lara Wagner finishes bloodied after crash in Munich final (/biathlon/lara-wagner-bloodied-finish-after-crash-munich-rollerski-biathlon/). Also: Sweden’s Viktor Brandt set the tone for commuter-chic by qualifying fast in a borrowed helmet and his coach’s jacket—Biathlon: Viktor Brandt shines in Munich despite lost luggage chaos (/biathlon/viktor-brandt-excels-in-munich-roller-biathlon-despite-lost-luggage-chaos/). Fashion week, but with rifle racks.
On the jumping side of town, safety demanded the microphone. Austria’s Eva Pinkelnig, rehabbing a torn ACL from Predazzo, said the quiet part into a very loud microphone: she felt like a “guinea pig” on a hill with a known design flaw, and she wasn’t alone—two other ACLs popped that same weekend. Her straight talk and steady rehab plans live in Eva Pinkelnig furious – says athletes were “used as guinea pigs” after Predazzo crash (/ski-jumping/eva-pinkelnig-slams-fis-over-predazzo-hill-safety-athletes-used-as-guinea-pigs/). The lesson: profiles matter, and the landing should be the safest part of flying.
And in the “rules with long shadows” department, FIS clarified that its new eligibility policy with sex verification testing won’t roll in until Falun 2027—first the World Championships, then the World Cup in 2027/28. The timeline is tidy; the debate will not be. See Confirmed: Sex verification testing to be introduced at the 2027 World Championships in Falun (/cross-country-skiing/sex-verification-testing-to-begin-at-falun-2027-world-championships/) and Decision: FIS to introduce sex testing in skiing — first at 2027 Falun World Championships (/cross-country-skiing/fis-to-introduce-sex-testing-skiing-first-at-falun-2027/).
Meanwhile, biathlon kept the conversation lively off the range, too. Campbell Wright looked around the start pen and suggested some Continental cool might be performative—“fake professionalism,” as he put it—before doubling down with a few unprintable metaphors. Norwegians countered that everyone needs their own bubble; others agreed you can smile and still shoot 10 for 10. The debate—and the zingers—are in Biathlon: Campbell Wright blasts European rivals for “fake professionalism” (/biathlon/campbell-wright-criticizes-european-biathletes-fake-professionalism/) and its companion piece (/biathlon/campbell-wright-slams-fake-professionalism-in-european-biathlon/).
So the week gave us: closed doors to the Olympics, open gates in a city park, a stern memo to hill designers, and a reminder that joy—and occasionally a borrowed helmet—can carry you a long way. Winter’s almost here. The skis are waxed, the rulebook is warmed up, and somewhere a penalty loop is practicing its roundabouts.